Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Yerevan Mayor, Governor of St. Petersburg sign cooperation roadmap

Emil Lazarian

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 13:29, 1 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan and Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov signed a cooperation roadmap for 2021-2025.

The Yerevan Mayor said in a statement on social media that this roadmap covers cooperation in general education, culture, healthcare and other areas.

“The development and deepening of the relations between the two partner, friendly cities is among our priorities. I invited Mr. Governor to be hosted in Yerevan in the nearest future”, the Mayor said.

Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan is in St. Petersburg on an official visit.

[See Video]

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani deputy PMs to meet in Moscow on December 1

Emil Lazarian

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 15:35, 1 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan trilateral working group chaired by the deputy prime ministers will hold a meeting today in the Russian capital of Moscow, the Office of Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan told Armenpress.

The trilateral working group deals with the unblocking of all economic and transportation communications in the region.

During the recent meeting of the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani leaders in Sochi, President of Russia Vladimir Putin said that the deputy prime ministers will meet in Moscow soon to sum up the results and announce the decisions which were agreed upon by the leaders of their countries on November 26.

Armenian deputy PM Mher Grigoryan and his delegation will be in Moscow from December 1 to 3. He will also take part in the session of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the CIS Economic Council meeting and the 2nd Eurasian Congress.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

23 countries report coronavirus Omicron variant

Emil Lazarian

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 19:39, 1 December, 2021

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. A new coronavirus variant, Omicron, originally found in South Africa, has been found in at least 23 countries, ARMENPRESS reports Director General of the World Health Organization Tedros Ghebreyesus said at a briefing in Geneva.

“At least 23 countries have reported the discovery of the Omicron variant, and that number will undoubtedly increase”, he said.

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 12/01/2021

Emil Lazarian 
                                        Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Russian, Armenian, Azeri Officials Hold More Talks On Transport Links
        • Aza Babayan
Russia -- A Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani working group on cross-border transport 
issues meets in Moscow, January 30, 2021.
Senior Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani officials were meeting in Moscow on 
Wednesday to try to hammer out final details of an anticipated agreement on 
restoring transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The meeting began less than a week after the leaders of the three states held 
talks in another Russian city, Sochi. They reported further progress towards 
opening the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to passenger and cargo traffic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said a trilateral working group dealing with 
the matter will meet in Moscow in the coming days to announce “decisions which 
we agreed today.” He did not elaborate.
The session of the group co-headed by deputy prime ministers of Russia, Armenia 
and Azerbaijan began in the afternoon and was still not over late in the evening.
“I cannot give at this point details of the agenda of the trilateral working 
group,” a spokeswoman for Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian said earlier in 
the day.
The Russian-brokered ceasefire that stopped last year’s war in Nagorno-Karabakh 
commits Armenia to opening rail and road links between Azerbaijan and its 
Nakhichevan exclave. Armenia should be able, for its part, to use Azerbaijani 
territory as a transit route for cargo shipments to Russia and Iran.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly claimed that the deal calls 
for a special “corridor” that will connect Nakhichevan to the rest of Azerbaijan 
via Armenia’s Syunik province. Commenting on the Sochi talks over the weekend, 
he declared that the “Zangezur corridor is becoming reality.”
The Armenian Foreign Ministry effectively denied that on Tuesday. Grigorian 
likewise insisted that the three leaders discussed conventional cross-border 
transport links, rather than “exterritorial roads” implied by Aliyev.
Armenia Steps Up Mandatory Testing For Unvaccinated Workers
        • Marine Khachatrian
Armenia - People line up outside a mobile vaccination center in Yerevan's 
Liberty Square, September 24, 2021.
The government introduced on Wednesday mandatory weekly testing for all 
unvaccinated workers as part of its efforts to boost Armenia’s low vaccination 
rates facilitating the spread of the coronavirus.
Public and private sector employees refusing vaccination have been required to 
take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense since October 1. They 
will now have to pay for such tests every week in accordance a directive issued 
by Health Minister Anahit Avanesian.
Hundreds of thousands of Armenians have gotten inoculated in the last two 
months. The government hopes that the new testing requirement will encourage 
many others to do the same.
Less than 20 percent of the country’s population has been vaccinated so far, a 
figure reflecting widespread vaccine hesitancy.
Davit Melik-Nubarian, a public health expert, welcomed Avanesian’s directive. 
But he said the authorities should find ways of motivating not only registered 
workers but also many other citizens such as pensioners and self-employed 
farmers.
“If we look at official statistics, [we will see that] employees, who can be 
influenced by us, make up a disproportionate percentage of vaccinated people,” 
Melik-Nubarian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Armenia - A man is vaccinated against coronavirus at a mobile vaccination center 
in Yerevan, October 24, 2021.
The Armenian Ministry of Health is also looking forward to the introduction on 
January 1 of a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to cultural and 
leisure sites. Only those people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or 
have had a recent negative test will be allowed to visit bars, restaurants, 
theaters and other public venues.
The measure championed by Avanesian has been criticized by some restaurant 
owners concerned about a loss of their revenue. They have also complained that 
it is still not clear how the authorities plan to ensure compliance with the 
health pass.
Melik-Nubarian questioned the authorities’ ability to enforce it. “There is 
concern that it will prove impossible to verify compliance,” he said. “That 
would mean that the decision remains on paper and people will hear one thing but 
see another in real life.”
The daily number of officially confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths in Armenia 
began falling two weeks ago after several months of steady increase that 
overwhelmed the national healthcare system. The Ministry of Health recorded 502 
new cases and 43 deaths on Wednesday morning.
Karabakh War Veteran Arrested On Coup Charges
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Armenia -- The main entrance to National Security Service headquarters in 
Yerevan.
A prominent war veteran highly critical of Armenia’s government was arrested on 
Wednesday one year after being charged with plotting to assassinate Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian.
Ashot Minasian was the commander of a volunteer militia from the southeastern 
town of Sisian that took part in the 1991-1994 and 2020 wars in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Minasian and three opposition figures were detained in November 2020 amid 
anti-government protests in Yerevan sparked by Armenia’s defeat in the six-week 
war with Azerbaijan stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire.
The National Security Service (NSS) charged them with plotting to kill Pashinian 
and overthrow his government. The NSS claimed to have found large quantities of 
weapons and ammunition in a property belonging to Minasian.
All four men rejected the charges as politically motivated before being freed by 
courts a few days later. One of them, Artur Vanetsian, headed the NSS from 
2018-2019. He is now a leader of one of the two opposition groups represented in 
the Armenian parliament.
Acting on prosecutors’ appeal, Armenia’s Court of Cassation ordered lower courts 
in October this year to hold fresh hearings on Minasian’s pretrial detention.
A Yerevan court of first instance afterwards refused to remand him in custody. 
The higher Court of Appeals overturned that ruling on Wednesday.
Minasian’s ensuing arrest was strongly condemned by opposition politicians and 
other critics of Pashinian’s government. Aram Vardevanian, a lawyer and lawmaker 
representing the main opposition Hayastan bloc, called it a further blow to 
judicial independence in Armenia.
Earlier this year, the Armenian Ministry of Justice asked the country’s judicial 
watchdog to take disciplinary action against a judge who refused to issue an 
arrest warrant for Minasian in November 2020. The judge, Arman Hovannisian, 
described the move as government retribution for his decision.
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2021 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

Armenian Foreign Ministry, experts assess trilateral Sochi declaration

Emil Lazarian

Dec 1 2021


    JAMnews Yerevan

Trilateral Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian Sochi Declaration

The Armenian Foreign Ministry made an assessment of the provisions of the Sochi Declaration adopted by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The spokesman for the Armenian department stressed that the document confirms the commitment of the parties to fulfill all previous agreements. This also applies to Azerbaijan’s unfulfilled obligation to return the Armenian prisoners of war.

Experts in Armenia are also discussing the points of the document signed by the heads of the three countries. Local political scientists see positive dynamics in the negotiation process. In particular, on the issue of the Armenians held in Baku, the settlement of the Karabakh problem and the possibility of involving international partners in the negotiation process.

A trilateral meeting between Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev took place on November 26 in Sochi. Following the talks, a statement was signed on further steps to normalize Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. All three participants in the meeting assessed it as timely, meaningful and effective.

Statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, as well as the opinion of experts on the provisions of the Sochi document.

  • “An extremely useful meeting” – results of the trilateral Putin-Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Sochi
  • Armenian opposition: Demarcation, delimination of borders under threat or use of force is invalid
  • Pressure on Armenia: what does Baku want and what does Russia expect? Commentary from Yerevan

Vahan Hunanyan, press secretary of the ministry, pointed to the clauses of the Sochi declaration which are most important for Armenia:

“First, with the Sochi Declaration, the parties reaffirm their commitment to consistent and unconditional implementation of all provisions of the November 9 trilateral statement. This also applies to Azerbaijan’s unfulfilled obligation to return prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees, provided for in paragraph 8 of the statement of November 9 [2021 – on the cessation of hostilities in Karabakh], as well as to Azerbaijan’s unfulfilled obligations on other points.

Secondly, the Sochi statement of November 26 once again confirms the provision on unblocking all transport routes and economic ties in the region, provided for by the statement of January 11 [2021], and once again the propaganda theses about the “corridor” or corridor logic are refuted [ Azerbaijan demands a corridor connecting it with its exclave – Nakhichevan via the territory of Armenia, the Armenian authorities declare their readiness to provide roads, but not a “corridor”, which means the loss of sovereign control over the territory – JAMnews].

Thirdly, according to the statement, an agreement was reached to take steps to increase the level of stability and security on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The first and most important step in this direction should be the implementation of steps aimed at reducing tensions.

We are also convinced that the full implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statements will contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs”.

Immediately after the trilateral meeting of the heads of state, Armenian political scientists began to talk about the implications of the Sochi declaration and possible scenarios for the development of events. One such discussion took place on 30 November.

The head of the Armenian Institute of International Relations and Security Styopa Safaryan drew attention to the fact that the statement signed in Sochi first mentions the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, then the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan:

“It seems that in spatial terms the establishment of peace and stability, the increase in the level of security extends not only to the border of Armenia-Azerbaijan, but also the shadow of an umbrella over Artsakh is visible”.

According to the expert, the Armenian side did not expect such a turn that the Commission on the delimitation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the creation of which is stated in the document, would be bilateral, not trilateral:

“It’s no secret that in the past Russia tried to form a trilateral commission, but now we are only talking about Russia’s participation as a consultant”, Safaryan says and recalls the draft document published as a result of the leak, which also spoke about the creation of a trilateral commission.

He believes that if Russia provides maps of the Soviet era, based on which the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is marked, “one could think about attracting other international consultants, especially since Prime Minister Pashinyan spoke at an online press conference about demarcation carried out in accordance with the EU standards”.

Expert on military-political issues Armine Margaryan believes that the creation of a bilateral commission on demarcation meets the interests of not only Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also Russia.

She considers Moscow’s statements about Russia not wanting to have a monopoly on the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations non-coincidental;:

“The main reason for this is that each trilateral format is de facto four-sided, Turkey is also included in it. The Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem works quite synchronously. Russia regularly encounters certain problems, which are primarily expressed in the form of a policy of threats and the use of force by Azerbaijan”.

According to the expert, Russia does not want to jeopardize the reputation of the peacekeepers and the Russian Federation itself, and, at the same time, “it is not possible to bring Azerbaijan into a constructive field”. Therefore, the creation of a bilateral rather than a trilateral commission is an acceptable option for Russia:

“Russia has managed to keep a small window for itself so that, if necessary, it can count on the support of international partners”.

The political scientist believes that certain conditions are necessary for the demarcation process to begin, including steps aimed at building mutual trust:

“This may entail, for example, Azerbaijani troops leaving the occupied territories of Armenia, where they have been deployed since May 12 as a result of military aggression”.

Armine Margaryan notes that in recent days the rhetoric of the Azerbaijani authorities has softened․ Before the meeting in Brussels between Pashinyan and Aliyev, which will be held on December 15 at the initiative of the head of the European Council, Azerbaijan is trying to position itself as a peace-loving state.

The expert does not rule out that before or after the meeting in Brussels, Azerbaijan may return some of the Armenian prisoners. However, she said, this does not mean that Azerbaijan will change its strategic goals and policies.

PRESS RELEASE: Sam & Sylva Simonian: Tech Pioneers Advancing Armenia & AUA

Emil Lazarian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sam & Sylva Simonian: Tech Pioneers Advancing Armenia & AUA


Sam and Sylva Simonian are two of the most notable names trailblazing their distinctive path for advanced innovation in Armenia. In addition to their triumphant conception and creation of the TUMO Foundation’s Centers for Creative Technologies in Armenia, Artsakh, and several countries abroad, they have been very instrumental in establishing the Computer Science (CS) program at the American University of Armenia (AUA), generously funding its launch in 2002.

As an AUA Emeritus Trustee, Sam Simonian recalls, “In my student days, CS was not offered as a degree. I graduated in electrical engineering and had to learn programming on my own. It was clear then when the AUA CS program was first established that technology would become the essential discipline to produce entrepreneurs who can invent, start companies, employ people, create prosperity, and trade electronically without being hampered by the country’s locked borders.”

Today, the AUA Akian College of Science and Engineering boasts of an impressive roster of degree programs and state-of-the-art curriculum for its students, offering undergraduate degrees in computer science; data science; and engineering sciences, as well as graduate degrees in computer and information science; and industrial engineering and systems management. Situated within a setting of rapid technological leaps taking place in Armenia, the Simonians find it not only encouraging to witness the number of successful tech companies emerging in Armenia, but they also underscore the high growth rate at which the new companies are accelerating, albeit the prevalent shortage of experts that often hinders exponential growth. 

With the launch of the ‘Build a Better Future With AUA’ campaign, the University is spearheading transformation by dedicating efforts to advance experiential learning and intently remodeling the science and technology curriculum to directly impact the growth of Armenia. The Simonians recognize the strategic significance of this AUA undertaking and underscore the immensity of what needs to be done within the country to bridge the existing gaps and positioning Armenia as an equal player in the global field. “There has to be more exerted efforts to realize both expanded budgets and strategy to improve the entire educational system. At one time, there were many more students enrolled in liberal arts studies, but that model has to be flipped. We have to teach and encourage kids at an early age to engage in creativity and technology, and when they enter university, the institution should have the scale and the quality to refine and excel their knowledge instead of starting them with general “101” courses,” Mr. Simonian asserts.


As the sponsors of the annual AUA Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the Simonians view education as a critical component of their mission to aid and expand access to knowledge and skills-development for youth in Armenia. With encouragement and compelling advice to students entering STEM fields, they instill hope for almost guaranteed success in life, but also note that the biggest risk-takers who take the bold step to launch their own companies come along every so often. Their words of wisdom to those entrepreneurs would be to, “find partners in their journey who will complement their deficiencies as it can get very tiring and lonely working 24/7,” while counseling that it is very important not to forget their roots when they strike success and to be benevolent toward those who are less fortunate.

Sam and Sylva Simonian have been a commanding source of power and inspiration for many. But what they signify the most is that everyone can be a part of promoting education and advancing Armenia in their own way. In their words, “Life is more beautiful and fulfilling if you can not only improve yourself and your family, but also help solve the challenges of a country in desperate need.” 

As AUA looks back on 30 years of progress through education, we recognize that our institution would not have reached this level of accomplished prominence without the support of steadfast and resourceful benefactors like the Simonians who have been pioneers in results-driven philanthropy that continues to power progress in Armenia. The level of contribution AUA students and alumni will make to the country and the society they will build are sown through the seeds of education. Our challenge in that process is to direct our collective efforts onto shaping the next decade of dynamic technological progress and delivery of greater development impact.

“I would like to see a peaceful, happy, strong and technologically superior Armenia, and education is the only vehicle to take us there,” Mr. Simonian urges. 

We are grateful for the tremendous support by Sam and Sylva Simonian and look forward to building upon their influence by engaging more collaborators, believers, and partners in realizing our forward-looking vision of Armenia. 

To learn more, visit https://30th.. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.


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German Court Finds ISIS Member Guilty of Genocide in Yezidi Killing

Emil Lazarian
by Asbarez Staff

 

 

 

in Featured Story, International, Latest, News, Top Stories

The defendant, Taha Al-J, covers his face at a court in Frankfurt, Germany

A man was sentenced to life in prison by a German court on Tuesday for crimes committed in Iraq which resulted in the death of an enslaved Yezidi girl, the German DPA news agency reported on Tuesday.

The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court found Taha Al-J, an Iraqi native whose full name was not released for legal reasons, guilty of genocide and a war crime resulting in death.

He must also pay damages of 50,000 euros ($56,391) to the girl’s mother. Presiding judge Christoph Koller said it was the world’s first verdict for crimes committed by the self-styled Islamic State terrorist militia against the Yezidi minority.

During the preliminary remarks on the reasons for the verdict, the defendant slumped in the courtroom and the session was interrupted.

Al-J was found guilty of having kept and abused a Yezidi woman and her daughter as slaves between July and September 2015. To punish the 5-year-old, he tied her to a window grate in the courtyard of the property in Fallujah in sweltering heat, where the child died, in agony, of thirst.

Islamic State systematically persecuted the Yezidi religious community during the conflict. Jennifer W, Al-J’s former wife, to whom he was married according to Islamic rites, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Munich Higher Regional Court in October. As a witness in the trial against Al-J, she had described her former husband as violent. Al-J himself has not commented on the accusations against him.

Armenia reports 398 daily COVID-19 cases

Emil Lazarian

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 11:09,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS. 398 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Armenia in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 338,518, the ministry of healthcare reports.

6462 COVID-19 tests were conducted on November 29.

977 patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 317,175.

The death toll has risen to 7567 (32 death cases have been registered in the past one day).

The number of active cases is 12,330.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Greek, Cypriot and Armenian special forces complete joint exercises

Emil Lazarian

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 19:27,

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Special Forces of Greece, Cyprus and Armenia completed the joint Close Quarter Battle 2021 military exercises, ARMENPRESS reports, Greek City Times informed.

From November 22 to 26 2021, the “Close Quarter Battle 2021” took place under the Greece-Cyprus-Armenia Tripartite Cooperation Program.

The purpose of the joint exercise was to increase combat capability and interoperability of the combined special forces in combat conditions. 

The training included rapid reaction battle shots, moving shots, night shots, urban warfare and handling of the dead and wounded inside a residential area.

The Cypriot Defence Ministry said “similar exercises, in combination with the Tripartite Cooperation Program between Greece, Cyprus and Armenia, reflect the excellent cooperation between the Armed Forces of the three countries.”

Europe and France must support the Armenian people in the face of Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression – French Senate

Emil Lazarian
Panorama, Armenia
Nov 30 2021

“France must show itself worthy of the hope it lit in the Armenian hearts,” the official Twitter account of the French Senate wrote on Tuesday. Reflecting on the event titled “Armenia, one year later” held under the high patronage of the Senate President last week and dedicated to the one-year anniversary of the Senate resolution on the recognition of the Artsakh Republic, the message read: “Europe and France must support the Armenian people in the face of Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression.”